A complaint filed with the Swiss Competition Commission (Comco) involves allegations against Coop, a dominant retail chain in Switzerland, from a group of local fruit and vegetable producers. The growers claim a newly imposed rebate system will reduce their revenues. Implemented in early April, Coop's conditions agreement requires suppliers to pay back a part of their turnover as bonuses to Coop.
Fair Markets Switzerland reports the rebate started at 1% in Bern and Fribourg in May and will rise to 3% across Switzerland by January 2026. The advocacy group estimates this could cost producers CHF 8 million ($8.9m) in turnover next year.
Stefan Flückiger, president of the association, stated, "We are seeing a downward price spiral," and seeks to halt the practice to prevent other retailers from adopting similar measures. Rudi Berli from Uniterre commented on the prevalent nature of such demands and warned of the threat to local agriculture's viability.
The Comco will assess the complaint, which accuses Coop of leveraging its market power to impose unilateral conditions on suppliers. Coop and Migros (including Denner) control over 80% of food retail in Switzerland, with Lidl and Aldi comprising around 3% each, thus limiting competitive opportunities due to Coop and Migros dominating premium locations.
Source: le News